Very Useful Creative Writing Exercises
When it comes to creative writing, there are many things that can hamper or block a writer from writing without a hitch. Here are some very useful creative writing exercises which can help you break that block and get ideas flowing through your head and on paper; or whatever it is you write on.
Any writing that steps out of the constrained normal areas of writing is considered creative writing. Normal writing, whether it’s journalistic, professional, academic or based on some technical forms of literature is what most writers focus on. However, creative writers commonly are identified by their accentuation on character development, narrative craft or their use of formal analogue. Others have numerous traditions of poetics and poetry.
Get Busy and Write
While there are a miniscule number of writers who can simply start writing one word or two and instantly find inspiration with great results, not all have the same success. For the most part, the vast majority of writers usually find themselves stumped when it comes to ideas or topics to write about. One of the best way to beat the writing blocks is to simply begin to do what those small number of writers do and just write away. You can start by simply writing a letter to yourself. Focus on writing that letter to your future self. Imagine what you would be like and what would you want to say to yourself 5, 10 or 20 years from now if you had the opportunity. Another way is to simply begin a paragraph using the words “I remember…” and just take it from there. You can naturally allow your memories to guide your hands and let it dictate what your words will be and what to write. The possibilities behind this creative writing prompt are endless if you use your imagination and ideas.
Trouble writing? Check out How to Beat Writing Block and Motivate Yourself To Write
Some creative writers have found success by searching for 2 ads in a magazine or newspaper and focusing on only those 2 words from the ads. From there they begin to create a poem or story using those 2 words or from the two ads.
Another concept often used is the 7x7x7 prompt. In this writing exercise you simply locate the seventh book on your bookshelf. Once you have it, then you open the book and jump to page #7. The next step is to find the 7th sentence from the book and focus on that. Now you can begin to write a poem or story using that sentence to inspire you.
Other Creative Writing Prompts
The great thing about tips and hints is that they are often very useful for most people. However, not all tips or suggestions work for one person in the same way they do for another. This is why it is best to try different ones until you find one that actually works best for you. Some other creative writing prompts include writing about your first. Using this trick can allow you to focus and write about just about anything from your first pet to your first kiss. Perhaps you like to write about your very first day of school or the first vehicle you purchased. No matter what you decide on, the possibilities are endless. You can also use the dictionary trick where you select a random page and choose a word. Try to focus on a word you do not really know how to define. You can then begin to try and write a hypothetical definition for it by using your imagination as guide.
Several writers have found ideas and stories to write about by switching persona and writing in the first person. Using this prompt, you can simply take on the persona of a person from a different age than yours. You can also use one with a different nationality or gender. Who are you and what do you want to say to others?
Do you like to write about poetry? Then check out these Poetry Tips By The Famous Authors Themselves
In the end, the only way to break out of that writing block is to write and keep writing. There will be days where nothing you write will seem to make sense or where you will have no inspiration or desire to write. However, you must continue to try and write and look for that breakthrough sentence or idea which will set you on the path of writing a great poem or story.
